Complete List of English Prepositions A-Z (Free PDF)
The word preposition has a simple definition: a word placed before a noun or pronoun to define its relationship to another word in the sentence. There are 8 types of prepositions in the English language. If you are looking for a complete list of English prepositions with example sentences, see the list below. You can also get free English prepositions PDF with preposition exercises. Prepositions can be divided into these categories:
8 Types of Prepositions
1. Preposition of time: Generally shows when something happens, happened or will happen in the future.
There are several prepositions of time such as, at, on, in, before, during and after.
2. Preposition of place: Used to refer to a place where something or someone is located.
The three common prepositions of place are on, at and in.
3. Preposition of movement: Show direction or destination in which something or someone is moving towards.
Common prepositions of movement are to, from, into, out of, towards, up, down, round, through, across, etc.
4. Preposition of manner: Show the way something happens or how a certain thing happened or is done.
Common prepositions of manner are by, in, like, with and on.
5. Preposition of of agent of instrument
6. Preposition of measure
7. Preposition of source
8. Preposition of possession
Check Also:
Prepositions of Time and Place: At, In, On & To
Prepositions with Adjectives List (PDF)
Prepositions Tests for English Learners (PDF)
Prepositions Types and Examples
| Preposition | Type | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| above | position | Clouds were above the mountain top. |
| across | position | The cat lay across my bed. |
| across | direction | They walked across the street. |
| after | time | She is having dinner after work. |
| against | position | Don’t lean against the wall. |
| against | direction | He threw the glass against the wall. |
| along | direction | The road led along the river. |
| among | position | The dog hid among the cars. |
| around | position | There were tall trees around the house. |
| around | direction | They are running around the tree. |
| at | location | He doesn’t drink coffee at work. |
| at | time | Show begins at 10 PM. |
| away from | direction | Stay away from me please. |
| before | time | I couldn’t find my bag before class. |
| behind | position | I saw him behind the house. |
| below | position | We were watching the clouds below us. |
| beneath | position | She sat beneath the tree. |
| beside | position | Come and sit beside me. |
| between | position | There was a wall between our houses. |
| by | position | She was living by the lake. |
| by | time | By the time I got there she’d gone. |
| down | direction | The ball rolled down the hill. |
| during | time | She was watching me during the game. |
| for | time | They were in Turkiye for two weeks. |
| from | direction | She comes from the USA. |
| from | time | The class lasts from 2:00 PM to 4 PM. |
| in | position | My books are in my backpack. |
| in | location | You can find it in a bookstore. |
| in | time | The match ends in 30 minutes. |
| in front of | position | The car was parked in front of the school. |
| inside | position | My cat was inside the box. |
| into | direction | She slowly walked into the house. |
| near | position | The bank was near my home. |
| next to | position | Train station was next to the movie theater. |
| off | direction | Books fell off the table. |
| on | position | There was some money on the table. |
| on | location | Her house is on Love Street. |
| on | time | Our holiday begins on Friday. |
| onto | direction | The dog jumped onto my lap. |
| out of | direction | There was a beautiful beach when you got out of the hotel. |
| outside | location | She was outside the house all night long. |
| over | position | There was a beautiful rainbow over building. |
| over | direction | Jumping over the snake wasn’t easy. |
| through | position | There was a tunnel through the mountain. |
| through | direction | She walked through the tunnel. |
| till | time | She waited till John arrived home. |
| to | direction | Mary walked to the school. |
| to | time | School is from 9 to 12. |
| toward(s) | direction | The ship sailed towards the horizon. |
| under | position | The cat was under her table. |
| under | direction | The whale swam under the boat. |
| underneath | position | She was hiding underneath the blanket. |
| until | time | I can’t wait until winter. |
| up | direction | I walked up the hill to watch the sunset. |
Prepositions List and Examples PDF
Prepositions List & Exercises PDF -download
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After work, she ates dinner
There was tall trees around the house.
These was some money on the table.
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